Would it surprise you to learn that you have a very real enemy who lies to you constantly? In fact, he is incapable of telling the truth. And his lies can lead to depression, anxiety, decreased self-esteem, and so much more.

In the case of depression, he loves to lie to us and tell us that we will always feel this way. Or that we don’t deserve happiness. Or that no one else understands. Those lies serve to separate us from each other and from God. Identifying the lies so we can replace them with life-giving truth is the beginning of freedom.

When I first started reading “Hope Prevails,” I really thought I was reading the book because I have loved ones who have struggled with depression and I wanted to learn more about depression and specifically how to understand it and help those I love.

I am a pediatric physical therapist and I also thought that reading the book would help me professionally as I work with children and oftentimes families who struggle with depression. I wanted to read the book so that I could be a better clinician.

It didn’t take me long, however, to discover that I was reading “Hope Prevails” for me. There are deep-seated lies that we have all believed growing up. Whether it’s you’re not good enough, you’re not able to do something. For me, there were lies about who I am because of an accident I had as a child that left me insecure in many areas.

And as I read through the book, I discovered that God’s word spoke truth into those lies and there was work I needed to do to be set free. So as you read “Hope Prevails,” my prayer is that you will learn more if you yourself are struggling with depression on who God says you are and how to be set free. If you have loved ones who struggle from depression you will understand it better and have a tool to use as you talk to them and pray for them.

Or, if you’re like me, and have never really struggled or been diagnosed with depression but you may find that there are lies that you have held onto, maybe even since childhood, and God wants to speak His truth into your life and set you free.

If you’re willing to do the work, reading the book is a start. There’s a prescription at the end of each chapter that gives you questions to really look at how you can apply God’s word to your life. If you go through the prayers and listen and meditate on the playlist at the end, I know that God can do a work in your heart.

This sounds like a great resource for those who either struggle with depression themselves or know someone who does (which is all of us). Learning to recognize the lies we believe is such an important step to overcoming them. I still have work to do in this area, too.